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How to find a meal on a busy Sunday in Viana - are we doing it wrong?

Katherine Radeka

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francés (2023)
Camino Portuguese (2024)
Hi,

We are in Viana and we are having trouble finding food for today.

It’s a Sunday afternoon and it is busy busy busy. I have only basic Spanish.

We got into town at about 2:30 in the afternoon, and immediately started looking for food thinking we would be able to get a Menu somewhere.

Everywhere we tried was already “Completo” even places with Menus Peligrinos.

I managed to find coffee at a bar that didn’t serve any food. We are staying in a hotel and the front desk clerk doesn’t have any ideas.

I am so tired and hungry at this point that I am not sure how or what to ask for.

Should I ask for help make a reservation for dinner? Are places even open for dinner on Sunday?

Is there something else I should be asking for or looking for?
 
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This might be the reason why it is busy in Viana.
Local fiestas!

ACTIVIDADES DEL FIN DE SEMANA DEL 14-15 DE MAYO - Ayuntamiento de Viana

El área de festejos del Ayuntamiento de Viana ha organizado una serie de actividades que se realizarán el fin de semana del 14 y 15 de mayo. El sábado 14 la Plaza del Coso se llenará de los más pequeños con los hinchables que estarán tanto en horario de mañana como de tarde. Por la […]
www.viana.es

Maybe find yourself a tapasbar earlier in the evening when the crowds are not yet in.

Bar Viana Navarra. Bar Restaurante Viana. Bar Peregrinos Viana Navarra. Bar comidas Viana Navarra. Almuerzos Viana. Bar Pintxos Viana. Bar Menu del Dia Viana. Restaurante Carta Viana Navarra. Bar Pension Viana Navarra

Bar Casa Armendariz Viana Navarra. Bar Comidas Viana. Bar de Pintxos. Bar de Tapas. Bar Menu del Dia. Bar Restaurante Carta. Almuerzos. Bar Rstaurante comidas Viana. Menu de Sidreria. Chuleton
www.sidreriacasaarmendariz.es

And always follow the locals!
 
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I hope you have resolved this by now. Can you google map restaurants/bars and go to one not centrally located? Perhaps some one can make calls for you if you dot have enough Spanish. Bars are probably a better bet for the tapas
 
On the square across from the parochial albergue there used to be a shop that sold coffee, ice cream bars, cold drinks. They had wifi and the albergue did not. Maybe get an ice cream to tide you over?
 
The Hotel Palacio de Pujadas
is centrally located, at calle Navarro Villoslada 24 , tele.+34 948 64 64 64.
It has 2 very good restaurants plus a large welcoming bar. Try for a meal or a drink and tapas. ..Years past when staying at the nearby municipal pilgrim albergue I always enjoyed eating here.
 
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Thanks for the help. I think we will try tapas. We haven’t had that experience yet.

In the meantime my sweet husband pulled out chocolate-laden trail mix and made me eat some.

Ironically we are at Palacio de Pujadas where the front desk clerk didn’t have ideas. Hotel’s restaurant closed today. Bar very busy and out of food (but could have been asking for the wrong thing in my poor Spanish).
 
mspath said:
The Hotel Palacio de Pujadas
is centrally located, has 2 very good restaurants plus a large welcoming bar. Try for a meal or a drink and tapas. ..Years past when staying at the nearby municipal pilgrim albergue I always enjoyed eating here.
Click to expand...
I think we had a lunch snack there, but they quit serving food early afternoon.
 
Oddly enough, we found food salvation in a butcher shop when we faced this issue in 2019. Some have ready made sandwiches or at least ready-to-eat smoked meats to go - not exactly a balanced diet, but it’s sustenance.
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
We ventured out at 6 PM and Things had calmed down a lot. We found a menu de peligrino at Café La Rua.

Sat next to a delightful French couple from Lyon.

Lesson learned: carry some extra food and don’t let myself get so hungry I can’t see straight.
 
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St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Thanks for your update. Glad that you did not go to bed hungry. Enjoy your walk today towards Logrono.
 
Breakfast = Desayuno, Lunch = Almuerzo, Dinner = Cena.
 
A lot if restaurants don’t open till 7pm or 8pm
 
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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

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Sundays are holidays are the only days I try to keep tabs on during a camino. I think everyone should always have some food when they walk. Most days I carry my lunch and if it is Sunday and or fiesta days I will probably carry dinner too.
SabineP said:
This might be the reason why it is busy in Viana.
Local fiestas!
Click to expand...
FIestas are often more difficult than Sundays when it comes finding food.
If you google fiestas and holidays in Spain you will find websites that list national holidays and fiestas by region and city/town by date.
I always check this before I go and put it in my calendar with a reminder the day before the holiday and festival is scheduled. In this way I know to shop for even more things to be prepared.
I think this is a lesson we all learn the hard way.
 
Agree we were just there on a Sunday and this was the only place serving
 
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I hope you enjoyed the amazing breakfast buffet at the Palacio de Padujas if they still do it. We had omelets and eggs to order! And made sandwiches to go with all the breads cheeses and meats. Old pilgrims secret!!
 
Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Even on ordinary days we have struggled to understand the food scene - always arriving when it’s over!! I found this article helpful -

Mealtimes in Spain: When Should You Eat? - Go! Go! España

Have you just settled into Spanish culture but you're clueless about mealtimes in Spain? The rhythm of Spanish life revolves around Spanish mealtimes, so you have to get informed to keep up with the tempo. Read on to find out exactly when to eat which meals as well as learn some Spanish customs.
gogoespana.com
 
On one Camino, I arrived in a town that had absolutely no shops or restaurants for food. The closest town was a serious drive away. The albergue, heaven forbid, did not have any food. In fact, it did not have a kitchen. It had some bowls and an immersion heater in a "pantry.".
A gentleman, Olivie, who was in the albergue with me, had some bars of chocolate. I had a packet of dry soup mix that I always carried for emergencies. Well, this was an "emergency."
We had a meal of soup (using water from the bathroom sink), chocolate, and some crackers that previous pilgrims had left in the "pantry." We used our own utensils.
Sometimes, this happens. It's just the Camino workin' its magic mojo. Be prepared.
 
And the lady with the key to this albergue insisted that I gift her my one and only pencil.
Yes, "gift." Not "give."
I did not, pretending I didn't speak Spanish.
Who knew THAT would come in handy!!
This is the same albergue where I lost my pants and a priest in the next town found them.
Long story.
 
Lightfoot Guide to via Francigena
The 9th edition the Lightfoot Guide will let you complete the journey your way.
I crave the moderators' indulgence to allow you to expand the "long story"!
 

Wow, good story, and a reminder to always try to have a little something in reserve in the backpack. I bet no powdered dry soup mix every tasted so good.

I had to chuckle though, reading the second half of your story. Did you know that "pants" in the UK refers to underwear.
 
That was partly why I asked for expansion of the "long story" though a priest with possession of a pair of trousers belonging to a lady is quite intriguing in itself.
 
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I had always some nuts dried friuts a bit of salami.
Remember some strech that was way too far for me drenched cold and I literally could not walk another step. I asked another pilgrim to bring me some bread if he finds any I was giving him money but he said if I had a knife he would share some of his bread. He did.
with a couple of nuts an apricot and hot water out of the sink I had a feast. I managed to get my boots dried to the next morning.
So plan b for the next fiesta.
 
SkyDancer said:
I ended up putting a reminder on my phone for Saturday nights so I will be sure to buy some extra food in case I got caught out again on a Sunday.
Click to expand...
Depending on the town, the store may not reopen after siesta on Saturday either. Larger towns with some chain stores, yes, but smaller towns with family owned stores, maybe not. I know they did not reopen in some of the smaller towns were we served as hospitaleros.
 
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